Public input sought for Erie schools' strategic plan

Sessions are Monday and Tuesday. School district to use information to develop goals.

Ed Palattella @ETNPalattella

The Erie School District is bringing its strategic plan to the public this week.

As part of the development of the long-term plan, the district is holding two hearings to get public input on what the community believes the district's goals should be.

• The first public meeting is Monday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Jefferson Educational Society, 3207 State St. Admission is free, but the society is asking attendees to register at www.jeserie.org or by calling 459-8000.

• The second public meeting is Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at East Middle School, 1001 Atkins St. No registration is required.

The district has been working on the strategic plan since Jan. 12, when a consultant based in Oakland, California, met with students about their goals for the district.

The consultant, Mutiu Fagbayi, president and CEO of Performance Fact Inc., since then has also met repeatedly with more than 100 community members who make up the core planning group.

The members of that group have also been developing goals for the 11,500-district, which is fashioning the strategic plan in conjunction with its receipt of $14 million in additional state funding to keep the district solvent.

"I have really been pleased with the way it is going, and I am confident that we will come out with a plan that will help move the district forward," Erie schools Superintendent Brian Polito said.

The plan is to be finished in May, well before the June 30 deadline for the School Board to pass a 2018-19 budget. Polito wants the board to consider the plan as the school directors work on the budget. The board on May 16 will vote on whether to accept the final draft of the strategic plan.

The strategic plan is to address only the district's educational goals. In exchange for the district receiving the $14 million, the state on Friday appointed a financial administrator, Charles Zogby, a former state education and budget secretary, to monitor the district's finances and develop a financial improvement plan.

The state is paying Zogby $148,000. He starts the job on March 26.

The district is paying Performance Fact $94,600, with some of the funding to come from donations. The School Board unanimously approved the contract on Jan. 10, based on Polito's recommendation.

He said Performance Fact impressed him with the firm's work for school districts in such cities as State College, Seattle and Kansas City, Missouri.

Ed Palattella can be reached at 870-1813 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNpalattella.

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